large erectable antenna for space application - NASA Technical

542 Pages·2011·28.66 MB·English

REPORT GOC-DCL69-003
NASA CONTRACT NAS 8-21460
LARGE ERECTABLE ANTENNA FOR
00 SPACE APPLICATION
- 0
00
GENERAL DYNAMICS
*: ~CLEARI N GHOUSE Convair Division
, eral Scientific & Technical
'- §Springfield Va. 22151
~~~O9fi
I8fO "±'iV
REPORT GOC-DCLG9-003

ANASA CONTRACT NAS 8-21460

LARGE ERECTABLE ANTENNA FOR

SPACE APPLICATION

FINAL REPORT
30 September 1969
-Preparedby

NASA MSFC Program Manager- E.C .H amilton

Convair Program Manager -J.A .F ager

-Submitted to
- - -
National Aeronautics and SpacesAdministration
GEORGE C.MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Huntsville, Alabama
CONVAIR DIVISION OF GENERAL DYNAMICS

San Diego, California
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The completeness of the study and program direction are due to the efforts of NASA
Technical Program Manager, Mr. E. C. Hamilton, of NASA-MSFC, and the frllow­
ing General Dynamics 'Convair engineers who participated in.this study.
Jolin A. Fdger
Antenna & Communication Systems
Program Manager
R. Garriott - PETA Project Engineer & RF Design
D. Vaughan - Structural Design
H. Neubert - Structural Design
F. Fujimoto - Structural Design
H. Mitchell - Dynamics
M. Downing - Dynamics
R. K. Gieseke - Dynamics
P. Bergin - Power System
R. Andersen - Test ­
J. Hopkins - Manufacturing
R. Bradley - Economic Analysis
G. Howell - Thermodynamics
H. Sturtevant - Reliability
F. 0. Bennett - Stress Analysis
R. Carlson - Stress Analysis
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY S-1

Section Page
TASK 1.0 - MATERIAL AND FABRICATION TECHNIQUES 1-1

1.1 DESIGN AND FABRICATION OFVTEST ELEMENTS 1-1

1.2 TEST OF ELEMENTS 1-17

"1.3 FABRICATION AND DESIGN OF FULL SCALE ELEMENT

(TETRAHEDRON) 1-62

2 ANTENNAFEED DESIGNASPECTS 2-1

2.1 RF BLOCKAGE'EFFECTS 2-1

2.2 FEED POSITIONING ERRORS 2-24

2.3 FEED MODULE SIZING 2-27

2.4 THERMAL BALANCE AND RADIATORS 2-30

3 TASK III DEPLOYMENT DYNAMICS 3-1

3.1 ANTENNA REFLECTOR DEPLOYMENT-ANALYSIS 3-1

3.2 CONTROLLED DEPLOYMENT TECHNIQUES , 3-24

4 GIMBALED ANTENNA CONFIGURATION - 15 FOOT DIAMETER

ANTENNA ON SIVB WORKSHOP 4-1

4.1 OBJECTIVE 4-1

4.2 SIGNIFICANCE 4-2

4.3 PRESENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIELD 4-3

4.4 EXPERIMENT 4-4

4.5 EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE 4-9

4.6. MEASUREMENTS 4-12

4.7' DATA ANALYSIS 4-12

4.8 EXPERIMENT HARDWARE 4-15

4.9 ENVELOPE 4-29

4.10 WEIGHT AND SIZE 4-31

4.11 POWER 4-31

4.12 SPACECRAFT INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS 4-31

4.13 ENVIRONMENT CONSTRAINTS 4-32

4.14 DATA MEASUREMENT REQUIREMENTS 4-34

4.15 SPACECRAFT ORIENTATION REQUIREMENTS 4-34

4.16 ASTRONAUT TRAINING 4-35

4.17 ASTRONAUT PARTICIPATION PLAN 4-36

iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS, Contd.
Section - :Page­
4.18 PRE-LAUNCH SUPPORT 4-38

4.19 FLIGHT OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS 4-39

4.20 RECOVERY REQUIREMENTS 4-40

4.21 DATA SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS 4-40

4.22 APPLICATION OF THE 15 FOOT ANTENNA TO

THE UNIFIED S-BAN DATA LINK 4-40

4.23 RESOURCES REQUIREMENTS 4-41

5 MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY 5-1

5.1 DEVELOPMENTAL ITEMS FOR IMPROVED

PERFORMANCE AND COST SAVING 5-1

5.2 MANUFACTURING PLAN FOR 30-FOOT TO

50-FOOT-DIAMETER ANTENNAS 5-6

5.3 TYPICAL MANUFACTURING PLAI FOR 10-FOOT TO

TO 30-FOOT DIAMETER ANTENNAS 5-17

5.4 MANUFACTURING ABOVE 50-FOOT-DIAMETER

ANTENNAS 5-26

6 THERMAL ANALYSIS OF REFLECTOR 6-1

6.1 REFLECTOR SURFACE MESH 6-1

6.2 ANTENNA TUBULAR ELEMENTS 6-9

6.3 DISTORTION EFFECTS 6-34

Appendix
A-1 PRE-VACUUM MESH REFLECTIVITY MEASUREMENTS

(SEE SECTION 1.2.4.4) A-1

,A-2 POST-VACUUM MESH REFLECTIVITY MEASUREMENTS

(SEE SECTION 1.2.4.4) A-5

A-3 GENERAL DYNAMICS SPECIFICATION TWO BAR

TRICOT KNIT FABRIC A-9

B APERTURE BLOCKAGE COMPUTER RUNS B-1

iv
TABLE OF"CONTENTS, Contd.
Appendix Page
C ANTENNA REFLECTOR DEPLOYMENT DYNAMICS C-i
C.1 ANALYSIS OF REFLECTOR DEPLOYMENT
AT LATCH UP C-I
C. 2 REFLECTOR TIME HISTORY SIMULATION C-58

D THERMAL ANALYSIS D-1

D. 1 REFLECTOR MESH TEMPERATURE LISTINGS,
32.99 FT. ANTENNA D-2

D. 2 REFLECTOR MESH TEMPERATURE LISTINGS,
70.0 FT. ANTENNA D-10.
D.3 TUBULAR ELEMENT TEMPERATURE LISTINGS;
32.99 FT. ANTENNA D-23

D.4 TUBULAR ELEMENT TEMPERATURE LISTINGS,
70.0 FT. ANTENNA D-47

D. 5 EIGHT BAY ANTENNA PERSPECTIVE PLOTS D-99

V
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
I Model of Expandable Truss Antenna Concept (Not to Scale) .S-4

2 Operational Sequence, of a 100-Foot-Diameter Parabolic

Antenna Experiment S-4

3 Program Schedule S-5

4 Carpenter Tape Hinge S-6

-5 1X Enlargement of Gold-Plated Chromel-R Tricot Knit Mesh S-6

6 SIVB Work~hop Antenna" S-7

7 Fabrication and Test Cycle S-8

8' Distortion History, 30- and 64-Foot Titanium Truss Antennas

in Synchrondus Orbit, - S-9

9 MaximunGain. Frequency Versus Diameter S-9

i0 Expandable Truss Antenna Size Versus-Frequency-Limits

in Synchronous Orbit, S-10

11 One Section of an Expandable Tripod Leg S-11

12 Multiple Beam Antenna With Integrated Structure S-12

13 Side-Looking Radar System for Earth Resources and Mapping S-13

14 Shaped-Beam Dual Reflector Configuration S-14

1-1 AGO Geometry of Eight-Bay, 70-Foot Antenna 1-2

1-2 Tube End Fitting 1-4

1-3 Spherical Bearing Data (Transport Dynamics Inc.Vendor Sheet) 1-5

1-4 Spherical Bearing Coefficient of Friction (Transpot Dynamics Inc.

Vendor Sheet) 1-6

1-5 Test Specimen, Torsion Spring Hinge Assembly 1-8

1-6 Test Specimen, Tension Spring Hinge Assembly 1-9

1-7 Test Specimen, Carpenter Tape Hinge Assembly 1-10

1-8 Mast Tube Joint 1-12

1-9 Bi-Stem Mast 1-13

1-10 Chromel-R Mesh (10XMagnification) 1-14

vi
LIST OF FIGURES, Contd.
Figure Page

1-11 Mesh Adjustment System 1-16

1-12 Test Specimen - Tension and .Torsion Spring Hinge --. Deployed 1-18

1-13 Test Specimen - Tension and Torsion SpringHinge.-- Packaged 1-18

1-14 Test Specimen - Stainless Steel and Beryllium Copper -

Carpenter Tape Hinge, 1-19

1-15 Carpenter Tape Hinge 1-19

6 Hinge Test - Vertical Test Set-up 1-21

1-17 Hinge Test - Horizontal Test Set-up 1-21

1-18 Measured Torque Versus Hinge Angle, Tension and Torsion Springs 1-22

1-19 Torque Versus Angle, Carpenter Tape Hinge. 1-23

1-20 Bearing Friction Test Equipment 1-24
­
1-21 Bearing Friction Test 1-25

1-22 Specimen No. 1 Bearing Test 1-26

1-23 Specimen No. 2 Bearing Test 1-27

1-24 Specimen No. 3 Bearing Test 1-28

1-25 Specimen No. 4 Bearing Test 1-29

1-26 Specimen No. 5 Bearing Test 1-30

1-27 Specimen No. 6 Bearing Test 1-31

1-28 Specimen No. 7 Bearing Test 1-32

1-29 Specimen No. 8 Bearing Test 1-33

1-30 Column Test Installation 1-34

1-31 Load Deflection Curves, 0. 005-Inch-Thick Hinge 1-36

1-32 Load Deflection Curves, 0.008-Inch-Thick Hinge 1-37

1-33 Load Deflection Curves, 0. 010-inch-Thick Hinge 1-38

1-34 Column Test, Buckled Specimen 1-39

1-35 Buckled Carpenter Tape Hinge 1-40

1-36 Vacuum Welding Test Fixture 1-42

1-37 G.E. Vacuum System 1-42

vii
LIST OF FIGURES, Contd.
Figure Page
1-38 Thermal Expansion Test Table and Specimen 1-43

1-39 Thermal Expansion Test System 1-43

1-40 Thermal Growth Test, Cbroinel-R 1-44

1-41 Mesh Unidirectional Tensile Test (0 Degrees) 1-46

1-42 Mesh Unidirectional Tensile Test (90 Degrees) 1-47

1-43 Mesh Unidirectional Tensile Test (45 Degrees) 1-48

1-44 Mesh Biaxial Tensile Test Setup 1-49

1-45 Mesh Installation, Biaxial Tensile Test i-5O
1-46 Mesh Biaxial Tensile Test Installation i-61
1-47 Mesh Biaxial Test 1-52
1-48 Mesh Biaxial Test
1-53
1-49 Biaxial Specimen No.
1 With 1/8-Inch-Diameter Hole 1-54
1-50 Biaxial SpecimenNo.
2 With 1/8-Inch-Diameter Hole 1-55
1-51 Mesh Deflection Test
1,56
1-52 Normal Loaded Mesh With 0.04 lb/in. Width, In-Plane Loading 1-57

1-53 Environmental Degradation Test 1-68

1-54 Reflectivity Test Set-up (Anechoic Chamber) 1-60

1-55 Comparison of Gold Plated Chromel-R Reflectivity -

Before and After Hard Vacuum 1-61

1-56 Reflectivity of Mesh Materials With Respect to Copper 1-61

1-57 Tetrahedron Layout 1-63

1-58 Completed Tetrahedron 1-64

2-1 Reflector Shadow Areas from Aperture Blockage 2-1

2-2 Reflector Geometry 2-3

2-3 Case l and Case 3 2-6

2-4 Case 4 and Case 6 2-7

2-5 Case 7 and Case 9 2-8

2-6 Case 10 and Case 12 2-9

2-7 Case 13 and Case 15 2-10

viii
LIST OF FIGURES, Contd.
Figure Pag

2-8 Case 16 and Case 18 2-11

2-9 Case 19 and dabe 21 2-13

2-10 Case 22 and Case 24 2-14

2-11 Case 25 and Case 27 2-15

2-12 Case 28 and Case 30 2-16

2-13 Case 31 and Cage 33 -2-17

2-14 Case 34 and Case 36' 2-18

2-15 The effect of Increasing the 'FeedModuld Size on Antbnna Gain

and Sidelobe Level (No-Feed 'Supports Included)..- 2-20

2-16 Effect of Feed,Support Width and Feed, Module Blockage

on Eidelobe Level 2-21

,2-17 Effect of Feed Support Width and Feed Module Blockage.

on Antenna Gain 2-22"

2-18 Effect of Reflector Attach Point on RF Performance 2-23

2-19 Beam Pointing Error '2-26

2-20 Gain Decrease Due to Lateral Feed Position Error 2-26

2-21 Gain Decrease Due to Axial Displacement '2-27

2-22 Feed Module Sizing 2-28

2-23 Model Simulation of a 100 Foot Diameter Antenna with

Docked CSM ' - 2-29

2-24 Rear Mounted Spacecraft 2-29

3-1 Reflector Loads, Hinge Spring Sizing, 'and Deployment Analysis

Using Latch up Load Digital Program (P5162) and Reflector

Deployment Time Hisotry Digital Simulation (P5234) 3-3

3-2 Antenna-Link Spring Energy Requirements 3-4

3-3 Link Tension Due to Spider Deceleration at Latch -Up

(Six-bay, 30 foot antenna) 3-7

.
3-4 Link Hinge Velocity at Latch Up (Six-bay, 30 foot antenna) 3-8­
3-5 Maximum Bending Moment for Link No. 34 (Six-bay,

30 foot antenna) 3-8

3-6 Spring Torque Sizing (small spider loads). 3-9

,ix